Wright Motorsports calls on MPC champions for '22 GTD campaign

Wright Motorsports will call on their 2021 Michelin Pilot Challenge championship-winning duo of Jan Heylen and Ryan Hardwick to drive the team’s IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GTD entry for 2022.

Heylen and Hardwick will be joined by Zacharie Robichon for the four endurance races in the team's No. 16 Porsche 911 GT3 R. The team had a notable gap to fill in its line-up after the retirement of longtime Porsche factory driver, Patrick Long at the end of the 2021 season.

“I’m really excited, and I know this goes for the whole team, to continue this relationship with Ryan and 1st Phorm,” Heylen said. “We’re coming off of a strong season in GT4 with Ryan as my teammate, to now go back to a full season with Ryan in GTD. This is something we’re all really excited about. It’s something that as a team we’ve all worked on and looked forward to for some time.”

The start of Hardwick’s 2021 season was hampered by a concussion he suffered in a crash during a MPC practice session at Daytona. The team’s Porsche GT4 was withdrawn from the MPC race, and he was replaced in the Rolex 24 by Trent Hindman.

“The 2021 season didn’t quite go as planned for me personally,” Hardwick said.

“After a major setback in Daytona to start the year, I put my entire focus squarely on our Michelin Pilot Challenge GS program, and along with my teammate Jan Heylen, we accomplished our goal of winning the team and driver championships in that series.

“Now for 2022, I am directing all my energy and focus back on our primary GTD program. I’m super pumped to share the No. 16 car again this year with Jan Heylen, who has been by my side ever since I first drove a Porsche GT3 R at the Encore in Sebring way back in 2019.”

The team’s fourth driver for the Rolex 24 at Daytona was not announced.